Brief Description: Palmer family garden party in 1870 at George Palmer's Reading home, The Acacias

Subject Date: 1870

Full Description: This photograph shows the first and second generation of the Palmer family with some of their key factory employees. The following people can be identified- Mary Palmer (George's mother) in bath chair, George and his wife Elizabeth Palmer to her right, George William Palmer (George's eldest son) standing between them in the second row, Robert Meteyard (George's father-in-law) far left with white beard, Samuel Palmer (George's youngest brother, holding checked rug) and his wife Mary Jane far right, Alfred Palmer (George's second son) with top hat sitting, William Isaac Palmer (George's younger brother) behind Alfred holding his lapel and Charles Brown bareheaded to his left. Joseph Leete and Henry Lea are directly behind the bath chair. It was taken in 1870 in the garden of George Palmer's modest Bath stone villa, The Acacias, in London Road. The house was built in 1818 by a local salt merchant. The original owner's trade and its rectangular shape earnt it the nickname of Salt Box Hall. George moved there in 1865 and died there in 1897.